TikTok is rarely out of the news cycle, with the video platform seeing a meteoric rise in recent years, but in late January 2025 it wasn’t losing popularity due to something it had done – instead, it was banned in the United States. At that point U.S. users had to do without their TikTok fix for about 12 hours on January 19, but now another ban is looming, and this time it could mean that U.S. users have to go TikTok cold turkey… except there is a way to get around the TikTok ban, and we’ll show you how.
On April 5 2025 President Trump gave the Chinese owner of TikTok, ByteDance, another 75-days to decide if will sell to a U.S. owner. If the Chinese company doesn’t comply that could mean that there is no more TikTok for North Americans after June 19.
The multi-billion dollar question is whether TikTok users will be able to access the service if the ban comes into effect. Here’s what we know about the potential of using a VPN if TikTok is banned again.
How to use a VPN to get around the TikTok ban
It’s not as simple as installing a VPN and then accessing TikTok. As we know from the brief January ban, while VPN services can get around geoblocks, the app still wouldn’t run for U.S. users.
As pointed out by users on social media at the time, TikTok accounts created in the United States were unable to access the platform, even when using a VPN. And for Apple users, many found it was actually tied to the region of their Apple ID.
The answer was to install a version of TikTok from another country. Many North Americans in January chose to install the Canadian version of the app.
Here’s how an Apple user can get a compatible version of TikTok and run it in a VPN:
Choose one of the VPNs we recommend – we have reviewed loads of VPNs for Mac, iPad VPNs and iPhone VPNs. Our top choice right now is NordVPN, but there are also some cheap VPN deals.
- Run a VPN and choose a server in Canada (or another country).
- Now open Settings.
- Tap on your name to access your Apple Account.
- Tap on Media & Purchases.
- Tap View Account.
- Now tap Country/Region and switch from United States to somewhere else, e.g. Canada or United Kingdom.
- For payment method just tap on none.
- Add an address in your chosen country. You can use your own phone number.
- Shut down your iPhone.
- Now restart your phone and open the VPN.
- Set the VPN to the country you chose above.
- Now go to the App Store and download TikTok.
- You can now use the TikTok app via the VPN.
Once you have the non-U.S. version of TikTok you can switch your Apple Account and App Store access back to the U.S. This is advisable as you won’t want to lose access to all your other apps and subscriptions associated with your usual account.
With so much of TikTok’s appeal being the way its feed is curated to your interests, this may not be an option for all users – but it’s something to consider if a ban happens.
The short answer then is that yes, a VPN can get around TikTok, but it’s certainly a hassle to do so since it requires jumping through more holes than you’d perhaps hope to.
Author: Lloyd Coombes, Contributor, Macworld
Lloyd is a freelance contributor with over five years of experience writing for Tech Advisor, Macworld, TechRadar, iMore and plenty more, specialising in wearables, fitness products and mobile. When he's not being the Editor in Chief at GGRecon, you’ll probably find him at the gym.